Proportions: Real-World Application/ Shopping Trip

This activity will take your students grocery shopping.

They are asked to help their friends by using proportions to tell the cost of certain items. In order to not go over budget, students are asked to set up a ratio or proportion, then subtract how much is spent from how much each friend began with. Therefore, in addition to applying proportional/ratio reasoning to solve real-world problems, students will also have to show knowledge of subtracting decimals as well as multiplication and division.

This is a great STEM activity, and it is CCSS-Aligned by having students use higher level thinking skills to solve realistic word problems. To begin the activity, there is a background story and an example, and answer keys are included for each scaffolding piece.

Will require students to set up ratios or proportions, cross multiply to find the answer for unit rate questions. Students can put several of their best math skills to work, and this can be done as independent practice, small group instruction or whole group instruction.

Great for use as an in-class assignment, homework assignment, review, extra credit, Bell Ringer, scaffolding activity, or Montessori activity.